


Change

by Hamimifk (BatchSan)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Banter, Dubious Consent, F/F, Femslash, HP: Epilogue Compliant, Infidelity, Love/Hate, Minor Humiliation, Snark, but the topic isn't really broached
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 22:29:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1619282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BatchSan/pseuds/Hamimifk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twenty years have gone by but Pansy hasn't changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Change

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2014 round of [femmefest](http://femmefest.livejournal.com).

How, Pansy often wondered, had Headmistress McGonagall not retired from her post yet? It had been twenty years since she'd taken the position and while she was clearly much older now, it was almost certain she would die with her title as Dumbledore had. It was foolish, she thought, specifically when someone more interesting could be at the helm.

Not her though, absolutely not. Pansy had little interest in teaching the brats she already taught much less care to run an entire school filled with them.

"Miss Parkinson, I fear age has not taught you much in the ability to pay attention when I speak," McGonagall said patiently.

Coloring slightly, Pansy straightened up and pretended as though she'd been paying attention. It was hard to shake off the feeling of being a teenager under the older woman's stare.

"Yes well, perhaps I'd pay more attention if you had anything to say of interest."

Thin lips pressed themselves into a tight line; not for the first time, Pansy knew she had overstepped a boundry. It was bad enough that few people trusted her and even fewer cared to employ her after the Second War. Many of her family's allies had turned tail after the Dark Lord's defeat and because her parents refused to do so, Pansy was thrust into a world that was very uncaring for her. If not for McGonagall's offer of a position at Hogwarts, Pansy shuddered to think what her life would be like today. Likely the wife to some oaf of pureblood descent without a sense of decency.

Pansy sighed. "I apologize, Headmistress. You clearly requested my presence for something significant, whatever is it?"

Her tone was patronizing, and obviously so, but McGonagall only accepted it with a slight nod. This game between them was old, though neither of them cared to address it.

"As I already said, with the temporary departure of Professor Patil, we are in need of a replacement teacher for Transfiguration so I took the liberty to hire someone," McGonagall said. "Yet I fear there may be some conflict of interest between you and she that I would like to address in advance."

Frowning, Pansy drummed her nails against the arm of her seat. There was many a persons she held possible 'conflicts of interest' with but none were the type to be hired as a professor.

"Mrs Hermione Granger will be joining us beginning tomorrow throughout the remainder of the school year. I'm certain you recall your former schoolmate?" The older woman paused before adding, "I know you are both mature, adult women but--"

Pansy snorted, a sneer on her lip. "I've left petty intolerances in my past, no need to worry. Are we done here, if that's all?"

"Yes, I believe so."

Rising, Pansy exited the office and followed the spiral staircase down. As soon as she passed the gargoyle statue at the bottom, Pansy ran a hand through her hair and stomped at a nearby student that skittered off in fright.

What had she done to deserve the punishment of that mudblood in her life? Hadn't dealing with goody-two shoes bookworm junior and Weasley-idiot junior been enough of a punishment in recent years? This simply wouldn't do.

*

Morning found Hermione entering the castle well before breakfast. It was all heartfelt hello's and other trivial greetings with new and familiar members of staff, until Hermione stepped in front of Pansy. She looked the same, hair and all, only older, though no less determined; a fire still burning strongly in her as she nodded a greeting to Pansy.

"Parkinson, you seem well," Hermione spoke.

"Granger, you seem, well, you."

Pansy caught McGonagall staring in her direction and forced a tight smile. "It's good to have you on board," she added.

Hermione nodded and continued on, perhaps thinking along Pansy's train of thought that if all went well they could exchange as few words as possible during the recourse of the year. As if.

At breakfast, McGonagall announced Hermione as the temporary Transfiguration professor to the students causing a raucous of applause to erupt through the tables. There was an unmissable 'Blimey, it's mum!' from the Gryffindor table - Hugo clearly just learning of the news.

The older Slytherin students were the only ones to cast suspicious looks at staff table. Hermione's position within the Ministry was well known - her work on equality for all was a subject of scandalous talk amongst the pureblood families that still had pride. Pansy took some pleasure in knowing that Hermione's presence at Hogwarts would cause quite the commotion for McGonagall by dinnertime.

*

To her credit, Pansy avoided Hermione fairly well for the first two weeks she was there. It was surprisingly peaceful, for which Pansy felt a conflicting mixture of annoyance and gratitude for. As it was, it ended when Hermione had the audacity to interrupt one of her detention sessions.

"I don't mean to intrude, Parkinson, but I have it on good authority that you have wrongfully punished Hugo for something he didn't do."

A small, victorious trill shot through Pansy's chest as she stood from her desk. She did her best not to sound too pleased as she responded.

"Seeing as you weren't there personally, Granger, your supposed 'good authority' is heresay at best."

A familiar twitch of annoyance flickered across the bushy haired woman's face. "I understand that I'm overstepping my boundaries here," Hermione said, "but I'm well aware of your reputation for unfair treatment of students."

"'Aye!" Hugo piped up from where he'd long ago paused in scrubbing the classroom floor.

"If you're so eager to put input into this conversation," Pansy snapped at the first year, "why don't you tell your mum what got you in trouble?"

The boy nervously looked from his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to his mother and back again. Seeing no way out, nevermind the truth serum Pansy had slipped to him earlier, Hugo gulped.

"I jinxed Edwin Notts' shoes to stick to the floor," he confessed. Realizing what he had said, he quickly added, "Rose taught me the spell."

"Hugo!" Hermione gasped.

Smug in a way she hadn't been in decades, Pansy crossed her arms.

"See what happens when you stick your nose where it doesn't belong?" Pansy asked the other woman. "You'll do best to remember that you're not a mother here, only another of the staff. I've every right to punish a student, even if they are your kin. You'd do well to remember that your equality nonsense is irrelevant in some situations."

"You'll never change, will you?" Hermione snapped, cheeks flushed slightly, and shot a warning look at her son before exiting the room.

Regarding the confused first year, Pansy finally dismissed him from his detention early. Not without reminding him to return the following night to continue his punishment. Once alone, Pansy shuddered a breath as she sank into her chair behind her desk. Taunting Hermione had brought back a feeling of power long since thought lost; a sense of place and importance. Smirking, she dwelled on the moment for quite some time.

*

There was a month that went by after where Pansy carefully plucked at her former schoolmate, cleverly taunting her so that it was Hermione's ire that McGonagall saw out of the corner of her eye. The older woman wasn't foolish enough to believe anything but the fact that Pansy was likely the originator of it, though she seemed to do little to interfere. Not that Pansy wasn't mysteriously made to do not only night surveillance duties but she had to assist Hagrid on the grounds on more than one occasion.

"Why did you take the position here?" Pansy questioned one evening after dinner.

They had been ushering stragglers from the Great Hall and happened to find themselves alone before too long. Making a face at her, Hermione remained as neutral as she could. It had become clear though from prior prodding that the topic was a sore one for the former Gryffindor. Rumors amongst the other staff was that things had soured at the Ministry for Hermione. Pansy suspected something else.

"I do recall informing you that it was none of your business," Hermione shot. "I know you're out to make my time here as difficult as possible but I won't fuel your fire. If you'll excuse me, I have homework to look over now."

She made to leave but Pansy stepped in front of her path. There was a tension between them that had long been building; been there long before Hermione's return to Hogwarts. Forgotten wants and mutual hatred boiled between them, made all the sweeter by their positions of power and the wedding band around Hermione's finger. Perhaps Hermione had forgotten it but Pansy hadn't nor did she intend to let unfinished business go undone any longer.

"Parkinso--" Hermione hissed as hands shoved her backward. She stumbled, momentum forcing her arse against the lip of the Hufflepuff table. A hand went for a wand but Pansy's was faster, polished wooden jabbed into the soft underside of Hermione's chin. Her eyes were wild, fearful and angry, in contrast to Pansy's calm yet dark ones.

"I'll scream," Hermione threatened.

"Do it then. Draw them all here and let them see you beneath me, trembling in fear and..." Pansy cackled. "Desire."

Scowling, Hermione could only shoot her a dirty look before daring to shove the other woman away. Relenting easily, Pansy tucked her wand away as she stepped back enough to allow her past. As she brushed past, Pansy whispered, "We're not finished yet, Granger."

Hermione didn't acknowledge her as she stormed away.

*

As a professor, Pansy was expected to present a certain appearance at all times: discipline, responsibility, and something or other. Pansy had half-listened at best to McGonagall the first day she began working at Hogwarts. As a pureblood, presentation and appearance were things practically bred into her. She did them without thought.

Hermione's lip was bloody from where she'd bitten it in surprise. A bruise was quickly forming on her exposed shoulder from where she'd hit it on the edge of a desk on their struggle to the floor. Her face was half turned to Pansy, bushy hair obscuring the other half, blending it into the floor. Her visible eye glared fire in her general direction.

Appearances were truly everything.

"Nothing to say?" Pansy implored, twisting a trapped wrist. Hermione gritted her teeth.

"I believe you heard all I had to say on our struggle down."

"Hm, not really. It just sounded like a string of swear words. Nothing heartfelt in them at all."

Biting Hermione's ear, Pansy smirked at a breathy swear. She bit her again near the bruise. Hermione cried out and tried to buck her off, managing to get one of her hands free in the process. Her elbow collided with Pansy's ribs but she held tight to the other still pinned wrist, digging her nails into soft flesh.

"Bitch," Hermione groaned as she jabbed her again in the ribs before tucking the arm beneath herself.

Her side ached but Pansy only straightened herself up and admired the view, especially where the shoulder of the other woman's robe had torn away to reveal her bruised shoulder. She hadn't anticipated things escalating to this point, not realistically. Under normal circumstances Pansy would have long been fired for her repeated misconduct not only to Hermione but all her backtalk over the years to McGonagall. But McGonagall seemed to uphold Dumbledore's views of giving repeated chances where not one should be given and Hermione, despite her threats, didn't seem eager to report her.

It almost felt like things had never changed in her life. Almost.

Hermione sensed a hesitation in her captor that made her shift to better look at her. For the first time, Pansy realized that while things often felt the same for her, life had changed for Hermione. Marriage, kids, pursuits for causes that had to be tedious -her life had changed.

"You came back to Hogwarts in hopes of finding a simpler time, didn't you?" Pansy asked.

"Were things ever all that simple for me though?" Hermione questioned back. "Making sure Ron and Harry didn't get themselves killed, helping fight a war, keeping up with my schoolwork, and nevermind the insufferable shite you and Malfoy gave us, do you really think things were ever simple?"

Releasing Hermione, she allowed the bushy haired woman to lie on her back. They stared at each other in silence for a long time. Finally, Pansy lurched forward and sneered.

"If you're hoping I'll help in some way, that I give two shites about you, you're gravely mistaken."

Pressing their mouths together, Pansy bit at still slightly bloody lips and groaned when Hermione grabbed her hair and yanked it. They rolled so Pansy was on her back, Hermione hot and heavy against her front. It was change they both needed; simplicity for Hermione, loss of control for Pansy.

"Don't do anything you'll regret, Granger," Pansy taunted some moments later as Hermione entwined their legs, robes hiked up, torsos partially exposed.

"Likewise."

Even through panties Pansy could feel the other woman's heat against hers. They shifted against each other, swearing and moaning. Hermione dug her fingers into Pansy's shoulder as she moved, bruises forming even before they were done. It wasn't pretty, their actions, and yet by the time they were done, they felt different. Sore and torn, aches in uncomfortable places, but different. Happier somehow.

*

Waving away the offer of tea, Pansy waited as McGonagall served herself a cup. Sipping it carefully, McGonagall nodded as if to indicate how good it was. Setting the cup down, she folded her hands on the table. Pansy felt a familiar surge of annoyance toward the older woman.

"Mrs Granger recently informed me that the two of you have reached a truce. Is it true?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, it's true."

"I'm relieved to hear it. I'll confess that I hadn't thought you two would play nice."

Pansy shrugged. "It's not so much playing nice as it agreeing to not step on each other's toes for the duration of Granger's stay is all."

"I see."

Sipping at her tea again, McGonagall stared at Pansy for a moment. Long enough to make her feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"I can only hope that the spot on your neck is from an accident and not caused by a fellow professor. One whom may well be married," McGonagall said.

Shifting so her collar hid the hickey, Pansy's expression remained disinterested.

"It was a book. Fell from the top shelf of my bookcase," Pansy lied.

"Quite." Picking up her cup again, McGonagall nodded dismissively at her.

Pansy left the Headmistress' office with a blush on her face. She was going to have be more careful, appearances were everything.


End file.
